The Arranged Marriage
by DarkPurpleAgent
Summary: She never truly believed in love, not until she met him. But her mother has already arranged her marriage with someone from her class status as her mother would say. An elite marriage one she doesn't want but she is forced to take.
1. Chapter 1

First of all, let me apologize because I had to delete ad repost the story, so here we go

The Arranged Marriage

-Chapter One-

Disclaimer: I don't owe Criminal Minds; I only owe the stories in the world I created.

Chapter 1: Just a rich Girl

Spring 1999

The first time Aaron Hotchner meets Emily Prentiss he is convinced that she is an entitled, spoiled rich kid who sees the world as her personal playground. He has always hated wealthy people and there is a reason why; _he has zero-tolerance for people who feel they are above others._ Throughout his life, he has had many encounters with overly wealthy individuals, and he knows just how to deal with people like them. But the Prentisses are just a new version of _royalty_, the kind he is not comfortable with.

The only reason why he puts up with this is because just got appointed to the FBI not even six months ago. This is his first assignment, and _the overachiever in him_ knows that this is just temporary. It doesn't make any easier to do the job, but he is happy where he is with his career, this is just the cherry on the top. The head of security for the pontifical ambassador Prentiss might sound like an easy job, after all, security clearances aren't that big of a deal, any law enforcement official can do it. But working directly for ambassador Prentiss is a promotion on its own. Not the good kind

She is well known and highly respected, and it will get Hotch exactly where he wants to go, but there is always a downfall to things. Dealing with an arrogant, elitist, ambitious condescending woman is not something he was expecting, so he is going to try his hardest to impress her. But within an hour of working for her, he wants to strangle her, she is egotistical, rude, heartless and demanding, a classic narcissist.

He has been working for the ambassador for about six weeks now, for the most part, she is out of his way, she only really talks to him in the morning and nightly meetings. He is proud of himself, he is doing great so far, everyone says so, even his direct supervisor. Everything is going great until he meets _her and his life changes forever_

He comes to work one morning and she is just there, having breakfast with the ambassador, a young woman, she can be older than eighteen, perhaps nineteen. He doesn't even realize she is the ambassadors' daughter until they are formally introduced, and is not the lack of psychical resemblance that throws him off. But the dark painted nails, the purple strikes, on her large raven hair, and ripped jeans. He spots the nose ring immediately, everything on her attire screams trouble.

"Agent Hotchner meet my daughter, Emily"

He has always been a gentleman so he reaches to shake her hand "Is a privilege ma'am"

She so much as glances at him barely acknowledging him, she stands from the table and slowly walks to the sink, setting her plate down.

"I won't be home for dinner mother" she announces and walks out of the kitchen without even looking at him.

"My daughter, _she is difficult_" is her lame apology "Please don't let her deter you from doing your job" the woman mimics her daughter's behavior and she leaves with a final order for him "Morty will fill you in what is for the agenda today"

Later when Morty, his supervisor, warns him about the teenager and her attitude; is when he realizes his job just got more difficult. Haley has never been a difficult woman and he is happy with that. Later that evening when he is about to go home he runs into her one more time is late, and she barely parks the car before she stumbles out laughing and dropping her keys on the ground. He knows right away that she is intoxicated, and he can smell the weed even from far away.

"Did you drive like that?" he feels stupid asking the question but he does anyway, she blinks a few times, her dark eyes glaring at him.

"Shouldn't you be checking the doors or setting up the alarm?" her tone is cold and he fights the urge to just call her a brat, but he makes the mistake to open his mouth

"I take your mother knows you smoke weed?"

"I take you need your paycheck to pay rent?" she flashes back defiance shining through her eyes

"I am just doing my job" he offers lamely when he really wants to show her some manners

"Why don't you keep doing that then and mind your own business" she doesn't even wait for a reply she is already walking towards the mansion and he stands there wishing he didn't actually need this job.

The very next week he is at Yale, he is supposed to give this speech for a Procedural Law class, a favor for a friend, _a former prosecutor he really respected asked hi_m to. He can't say no, he is not a particular fan of speaking to a room full of students, _rich entitled students for that matter,_ but agrees anyway. When he spots her right in the front row of the classroom, he doesn't believe his eyes, so he makes brief eye contact with her.

Either he is imagining things or she just there _just_ to get under his skin, which makes sense given she goes to Yale, going to stalk his class is something she would probably do. The purple strikes are gone from her hair and she seems more like a young lady, an ambassador's daughter, just wearing leggings and a sweater dress and boots.

He wants to ask her to leave the classroom but he is not going to let her get under his skin, so he starts the lecture and pretends like she is not even there. _But it is hard,_ what is with this girl anyway? she is just a rich entitled girl, _beautiful of course_, but a privileged teenager who was born with a silver spoon in her mouth. She takes notes or at least pretending to be taking notes, but other than that she says nothing or does nothing to get his attention. When he finishes the lecture he watches as she packs her stuff away, and he fights the urge to roll his eyes, not entirely sure why he is so annoyed with her.

"Aaron I really appreciate you doing this" Edward Stiles says

"Edward don't even mention it, is my pleasure" and it truly is an honor Stiles is one of the best prosecutors in the history of D.C.

Stiles makes some small talk about the lecture while Hotch is packing his stuff away, from the corner of his eyes, he watches as she heads for the door.

"Excuse me just a second Aaron," Stiles tells him and as he turns to face the young woman "Miss Prentiss do you have a minute?" she is just as impressed as Hotch is, but she only hesitates for a second before she approaches the professor.

"Thomas, my teacher assistant is leaving at the end of the semester, and I was wondering if you would consider applying for the position?" he announces as he hands her an envelope

"Are you serious?" she asks, her tone is so much softer than what Hotch heard last week, and she is even more beautiful than he realized, the black big eyes, ivory skin, and rosy lips are inebriating.

"I know you only have a semester left, but I figured I asked anyway, you don't have to do it, I was just keeping you in mind," Edward says

"No Sir, umh its an honor is just...why me?" she asks looking around briefly glancing at Hotchner wondering if he had anything to do with this but how could he?

"Why not you? Miss Prentiss, you might have not noticed but you are an incredibly talented young woman, please think about it" he insists

"I definitely will, thank you Mr. Stiles" she smiled confidently and then she turns towards Hoch himself "Have a good day Agent Hotchner" and she is gone

"Teacher assistant? Really? he asks raising his eyebrows "She is not even twenty-one"

"Well I am not asking her to serve alcohol Aaron, I am asking her to do school work, grade essays and maybe help students with assignments..." Edward laughs

"You are asking an eighteen-year-old to help you grade essays?" Hotch cannot believe what he is hearing

"She is nineteen, and she has probably turned in better papers than my forty-year-old adult students, she is one of the brightest kids I ever worked with"

"She just doesn't really scream Phi Betta Kappa" Hotch reasons

"She is too good for them" he waves "She has a 4.13 GPA and she is taking advanced classes already; the girl will have a doctorate before she turns twenty-five"

"She is nineteen" Hotch laughs at the hyperbolic

"And she graduates this fall, she will probably have her Masters finished when she turns twenty-one"

"How is that even possible?"

"I told you" the older guy insists "She is gifted, she is taking the maximum overload of classes Yale allows and she is doing beautifully... she is just a very bright lady and outstanding student"

Aaron doesn't say anything else, he doesn't know how is that even possible, the girl he met last week was wearing purple hair stripes, and dark painted nails, and was high as a kite acting without a single care in the world. This girl who Stiles is describing is an honor roll student who was about to graduate and perhaps obtain a Doctorate before he even makes it to BAU, this cannot be the same girl he met last week.

"_And if you insist on continuing to make assumptions about my character, I'll advise you only this: assume you will always be wrong."― Tahereh Maf_


	2. Chapter 2

The Arranged Marriage

-Chapter Two-

Disclaimer: I don't owe Criminal Minds; I only owe the stories in a world I created.

Chapter 2: Emily in Wonderland

Summer 1999

Hotchner survives his first six months with the ambassador astonishingly, in fact, he has done so great, that he is now personally working with her every second of the day. It is just as uncomfortable as he imagined it would be, but he needs her reference if he ever really wants to join the BAU, and it just happens that ambassador Prentiss is _the one_ person you get a good reference from if you want to make it anywhere within the FBI.

Her daughter is back home for the summer and _now he has the two of them tormenting him_, and making his life a nightmare. Personally he isn't entirely sure why he is bothered by the younger Prentiss so much, her mother is by far the most obnoxious human he has ever know, but he hasn't really been around her daughter that much, she just has the ability to get on his nerves very easily. Maybe it is her _"I don't give a shit attitude"_ or maybe that she just says what she exactly what she thinks regardless of who she is talking to. Right now he is pretty sure is because she is intentionally provoking the ambassador and upsetting her, which only makes her ten times harder to deal with.

They are on their way _"to fix some affairs"_ as the ambassador announced that morning, they are riding the limousine somewhere. By now he is used to it, _personally, he doesn't understand why all the luxury, _sure she is an important ambassador, but all these expensive vehicles and all the attention doesn't really help to keep her safe. But she is obstinate and he is not even going to try to convince her otherwise. He just rides with them, their back is to the driver and he is sitting right in front of them, his eyes focused on the road, partially to give them privacy and also because he is supposed to be aware of their surroundings.

"Do you want anything special for dinner that night?" he hears the older woman ask, but there is no response.

He glances briefly and her daughter is reading a book, he can't really see from where he is sitting what she is reading, but she seems to be really concentrated and not paying attention to her mother.

The purple stripes had been replaced _for blue ones,_ and she is wearing long black laced-up boots, a leather jacket, and fishnet gloves. She looks like Marilyn Manson and it makes him wonder _why on earth does the ambassador lets her dress like a troubled person_, but he realizes the girl is just as stubborn as her mother is.

"Emily, are you listening?"

"Not really" she replies without looking at her

"Can you take this serious please?" she begs and the girl barely glances at her mother

"Do you want anything special to be served for dinner?" the ambassador repeats.

"Let me see," she says and she closes her eyes feigning concentration "Anything without human parts would be awesome" she offers with such a straight face, the corners of his mouth turn.

"See this is why I can't have a conversation with you! Everything is a game for you" the older woman is clearly irritated but it is quite amusing to watch

"Why do you need my input Mother? " is the way she says _mother _that surprises him the most "I am sure you will find something fancy and disgusting to serve, you're an expert with all these frivolous affairs"

"_Young lady this party is for you,"_ the ambassador says offended

"Is your wedding I am trying to plan here..."

"Well then just mary Tristan yourself and there you go" the girl shrugs. Wait what? They are planning a wedding for her? She is only nineteen, she cannot be seriously thinking about marriage already.

"Okay I am done talking to you, I will just talk to Tristan's mother and we can decide together"

"Sure, you go ahead and do that" the girl is not even really listening anymore and it doesn't really surprise him

"Okay moving onto something else" the older woman states closing her notes and pulling out her agenda "Our financial advisor called me on Monday, he is telling me you want to attend Graduate school?" Elizabeth says

"Yup, I already applied"

"Why on earth do you want to go to Graduate school, Emily?"

"Oh, gee I don't know," The girl says rolling her eyes and finally meeting her mothers "Maybe because I want to buy a dog, I heard they have amazing breeds?" Hotch has to suppress another grin

"You are going to be married in six months" her mother announces "You don't need to keep wasting money with this school nonsense, I am sure Tristan and you will have a lovely life..."

"Well, maybe I still want to work and have my own career you know?" The girl is clearly not too excited about this wedding and he can't fully understand why

"What kind of career can you possibly have?"

"I don't know" she argues "There are so many things...I was actually thinking about law school" she says and is almost a whisper, but the ambassador burst into laughter

"Oh don't be ridiculous Emily" she continues to laugh "You? going to law school? You can't even dress properly" he watches the look of hurt in the younger woman's eyes, and he is suddenly very annoyed with her as well. _What the hell is her problem_

Is she seriously telling her daughter that she is not smart enough to go to law school? Does she know her daughter is an honor roll student? She was asked by a Yale teacher to become his assistant, and the girl obviously wants to continue with her studies.

"You have a career mother," she says placing her book down and looking out the window.

"That is different Emily, I didn't have the chances you have now"

"What are you talking about?" the teen finally snaps "You are a Prentiss!; you were probably born in a gold crib mother"

"Yes Emily but I didn't have the choice to marry someone like you"

"You married dad"

"That was different dear"

"Oh yeah I know; you only marry dad because you got pregnant with me"

"Oh, honey that is not true... look you have no idea how lucky you are, you are going to get married and you won't have anything else to worry about for the rest of your life, just to be a good wife"

"Mother you don't have to pay for it if you don't want to" she states after a few minutes "But I am going to grad school, I can work and pay for it if is necessary but I am doing it, I am not asking for your permission " the seriousness in her voice makes him realize she might not be as annoying as he originally thought.

"Fine whatever" Her mother states "You are only wasting money but I will make the arrangements, is not like you will ever get anywhere"

* * *

They spent most of the day running errands and now they are at a wedding venue, the ambassador is going around taking measures and talking to the manager about colors, and arrangements, and stuff Hotch didn't even know it is possible to have at a wedding like a _goose ice sculptures and floating candles._

Emily, however, is sitting at the small lounge are reading her book, not the least interested in the fact that her mother just rented the entire city of Washington for her wedding. He approaches her slowly and his eyes finally land on the book she is reading.

"Helker Skelter?" he says looking at her surprised, her eyes meet his for a brief second

"I figured if _I want to become a serial killer_ this is my go book" he laughs and then glances at the ambassador

"Shouldn't you be excited about this?" he points with his head "Isn't every girl dream to plan a perfect wedding?" _God knows Haley hasn't stopped talking about them being married one day, very soon perhaps_

"Oh no this is all on her," she says indifferently " She planned all of this on her own, for all l care we can into any City Hall and get hitched"

He frowns taking a seat next to her

"You sound very excited" he points sarcastically

"You have no idea" she stops reading and looks at her mother "She has been planning this since I was five years old, _God_ she is already decided we are having a boy" he almost chokes

"I am sorry what? You are pregnant?" was that the reason she was getting married

"No! _genius_" she says rolling her eyes and he is not even mad at the insult

"I just mean... Tristan's mother's and the ambassador decided we were getting married when were like five..."

"Wait what?" he watches her confused

"They are wealthy and important and according to my mother the perfect family to marry into, my parents have been planing my marriage with Tristan for years" is her response

"Your mother is arranging your wedding?" he asked baffled "Are you saying you don't even like this guy?"

"I mean I know him since I was eight... so I think _so_..."

"Wait" he stops "You were serious about that? You have seriously know him that long?"

"I mean our families have always been close, my parents think Tristan will be an amazing husband... Anyway, is not like they are asking me to marry a monogamist you know"

"_But you don't love him_ why will you even agree to this...?" his head is spinning he can even comprehend what she is saying

"Is love even a thing now at days?" she questions "There is no such a thing in my world" she hates to phrase it like that but it is true, her world is all about status and class and meeting social expectations

"She can't force you to marry someone you don't want to," he says firmly "That is against the law"

"She is not forcing me" she offers "I just don't have much of a choice; I mean I am nineteen what am I supposed to do? Wait tables? And then what?"

"You have a college degree or you will _soon_, you are smart...you could be anything you want..."

"She doesn't even want to pay for my graduate school, she just doesn't think I can _do it._.." she stops glancing at her mother briefly and he finally puts all the pieces together.

This rebellious girl with blue hair strips and studded belt, is just a persona she is playing, she only acts like this to get under her mother's skin, and now he knows why. Elizabeth Prentiss is an arrogant self-centered woman, she is just an obstinate politician who doesn't believe her daughter can achieve anything on her own, Emily feels like she will never be up to her mother's expectations.

"You say you wanted to go to law school?... your intelligent, you can do it...you know?" he offers "You don't have to get married and do _exactly_ what she tells you to do..."

"I am not really sure I can get into law school?" she says chewing her lip

"Emily you have a 4.13 GPA" and the girl looks at him surprised not only because he is using her by her name but because he knows about her academic transcripts

"I was there the day Stiles offered you the TA position" he explains "With that GPA you can get into any law school in the country...trust me when a teacher like Stiles believes you are incredibly gifted, you could go anywhere you want "

"Wait he said that?" she asks genuinely curious

"Yes," he responds truthfully "He worships you... and does your mother even know about this?"

"About what?"

"The TA position, your grades, all o your accomplishments...?" how could she not know, if she was his daughter he would be so proud

"My mother hardly even knows when is my birthday..."

"I am sure that's not true but you should seriously consider going to law school..."

"Honestly I don't even know if I want to go to law school... I just want more than this..." she points sadly

"Then why are you getting married?"

"Because is the easiest way to get rid of the ambassador" she explains "If I get married she will finally be proud of me and I can just focus on my life... I can convince Tristan to let me continue with school..."

"You can continue with school without getting married... I just don't understand why are you agreeing to this"

"Did you always wanted to be on the FBI?" She asks wanting to just change the conversation

"No, not really" he confesses "I was a lawyer and then I became prosecutor, then this just happened"

"I am not surprised, you got that sharp useless look about you," she says and he smiles again, and Emily can't help to notice he is incredibly good looking. She has become really nervous and she isn't really sure why, she is an expert around man, even at her young age, she usually haves them wrapped around her finger. But he makes her feel so uneasy in a way no one ever had, his straight face and dark eyes are unnerving and yet fascinating.

"So why the FBI then?" She questions

"I don't know I am just good a reading behavior and I actually like this"

"Working for Rosie O'Donnell?' she asked eying her mother and he smiles deeply and she realizes he has the most adorable dimples she has ever seen.

"No, just...protecting people I guess..." he offers softly, is been a while since he felt this uncomfortable around anyone and is not a negative feeling. He just feels like a high school kid asking a pretty girl to prom. She is only nineteen and he is twenty-seven, he is much older than her yet he doesn't understand why she makes him so nervous.

"Your wife must be really proud of you..." she is secretly jealous and she doesn't even know why.

"I am not married" he hears himself saying "I mean we have been together since high school we are just not married yet..."

"How come?" she asks intrigued he seems like the kind of guy who will marry his high school sweetheart

"Well I had to go to law school and then I just got busy with work...but I am sure will be getting married soon"

"Do you want to marry her?"

"I do," he says but is not really sure _actually_

"Good" she smiles "Then you must really love her..."

"Yeah I do" and is not a lie, he does love Haley, doesn't he? They have been together for almost a decade, she was his first love and the perfect girl. She is pretty and sweet and just the ideal wife, even his parents feel the same way.

"Emily dear, can you please come to look at these linens please?" The ambassador approaches interrupting his thoughts.

"I am going to make her get black tablecloths and go all gothic theme, just watch," she says with an entertained smile, and she walks away, he is smiling uncharacteristically and he doesn't even know why. He watches her walk away, and he finally realizes why he is so bothered by her. S_he is not the rich privileged girl he thought she was, she as an incredibly beautiful and smart woman, and for the first time in his life he realizes he is not sure if he really wants to spend the rest of his life with Haley._

"_Anyone who has a continuous smile on his face conceals a toughness that is almost frightening."― Greta_


	3. Chapter 3

The arranged Marriage

-Chapter Three-

Disclaimer-I don't owe Criminal Minds; I only owe the stories in the world I created

Chapter Three: Concert Interrupts

Summer 1999

"Morty please" Emily begs looking at the older guy exasperated, they are in her mother's study and Hotch just happens to walk in as they are talking.

"I just don't really think is a good idea," The white-haired man says crossing his arms over his chest

"Is just one night. I swear will come straight home after is over" she pleads

"Your mother is not going to like it, Emily"

"Then don't tell her," she says exasperated, the ambassador is out of town for the weekend and Hotch was asked to stay behind with Emily.

"What is going on?" Hotch asks looking at them with questioning eyes. Morty just raises his eyebrows at him and then glances back at Emily

"Oh yeah just tell him" she points angrily "Because he is just gonna lock me up in my room probably" he still has no idea what they are talking about so he looks at the older guy for an explanation.

"She wants to go to a Pearl Jam concert tonight by herself" Morty announces "In New York" he emphasizes

"I am not really sure that is a good idea" He states looking at her and agreeing with Morty

"Oh my god" she snaps "See! I knew he will say that, I am just a stupid troubled girl for him" he can see her fighting the tears and it makes him reconsider his decision

"I didn't say that" he states firmly "But letting you go to a concert in a different city is not something we can just do without considering the riks"

"What riks?" she asks annoyed "Stop treating like I am so idiot child who can't even feed herself" she spats, and he takes a deep breath, knowing she is just not gonna let it go that easily, why does he have to such a softy.

"Who are you going with? _if we decide to let yo_u go?"

"No one," she says truthfully and he doesn't fully believe her "I mean there are gonna be people from school there, but I don't really want to go with them"

"So you don't have any friends that can go with you?"

"I don't have any friends, the people I sometimes hang out with...well, all they do is drink and smoke weed. They are just stupid..." but he gives her a meaningful look is not like he doesn't know she is smokes and drinks as well.

"Okay I did that once," she tells him irritated "And it was mostly to piss the ambassador off..." and he is not surprised when she says that, he had already figured that out.

"Okay this is what is gonna happen" he begins firmly "I will take you to the concert and _you will go in with m_e and as soon as the concert is over we are coming straight home" she begins bouncing around before he is even done talking

"Oh my god," she yells happily "You are the best" she jumps to hug him and places a kiss on his cheek, it happens so fast he doesn't even have time to respond when he does she is already out of the office and running upstairs to her room.

Morty is looking at him with a smile on his face, he can help to notice Emily's behavior has changed since he has been around, she doesn't get in trouble anymore and she is home at a decent hour every night. Although he is not entirely sure if it's just because of Hotch but he has definitely helped.

"She is good when she is around you know?" he tells Hotch

"What do you mean?"

"She doesn't get into trouble anymore, even her attitude has changed, you are a good influence on her," he said fondly

"I don't think that is because of me" he disagrees "She is a good kid, I just don't think anyone is given her the chance to see that..." he doesn't want to badmouth the ambassador in front of Marty.

"Anyway, I will take her to the concert..."

"Why are you agreeing to this?" Morty asks genuinely curious

"Because I don't want to listen to her whining all night," he says and it is not a lie, Morty just laughs

"Alright, I feel a lot more comfortable is she goes with you," his boss says "Just be careful she is after all a Prentiss" he warns

"Don't worry she will be fine, I will keep in contact with you" Hotch promises

* * *

The concert is loud and crowded just as Hotch expected it bo be, but he has never seen her so happy so he doesn't say anything, he watches her sing along the group, her dark long hair is framing her face with soft curls, she is wearing a black leather dress way too short for his taste, and high heels, but she looks more beautiful than ever, maybe is the fact that the black lipstick has been replaced by a red one and her hair is just natural black, no colored strips, her nails are plain white tip and she looks quite incredible without all that dark makeup on.

He stands next to her for most of the concert and he watches as a bunch of wasted teenage girls whisper around ogling them, and talking among themselves, Emily seems annoyed by the girls but she rolls her eyes shaking her head.

"They are a bunch of morons," she tells him speaking loudly over the music "Don't mind them I am sure they are just acting like because you are wearing a suit," she says Hotch knows is not just that, they are looking at them because he is eight years older than her and he is in his full FBI agent mode.

"I think they are just looking at you because you look beautiful," he tells her and regrets it almost immediately when she turns to face him, but she smiles as she looks around and she realizes she is ready to go home.

"Can we get some water?"

"Of course" he places his hand on her back and leads her out of the crowded auditorium and they walk towards the bar, she orders two bottles of water and he pays. She chugs half of the bottle almost immediately.

"Is so hot in there..." she says running her hand over her neck but then something catches her eye, and he watches as her eyes sadden in front of him

"What is wrong?" he asks glancing around and spotting a group of girls laughing on the other side of the bar, next to them is a blonde guy, wearing an expensive jacket and kissing another girl. He looks too young to be ordering alcohol but he is anyway, the way he is speaking to the bartender makes Hotch realize he is one of those rich privileged kids he hates so much.

"Who is that?" he asks Emily turning around to face her

"That is Tristan," she says and then she starts panicking

"Can we just go home?" all of a sudden she is very uncomfortable

"That's Tristan?" he repeats incredulously "And he is here kissing another girl...?" his skin begins to warm as anger arises within him, he is about to walk past Emily and talk to the little punk, maybe even beat his ass, but Emily stops him

"Is okay?" she says "I don't care who he is with, can we just go please?" she begs and she sounds so desperate, it makes him hurt for her.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes please" so he grabs her hand and leads her away from the bar after he picks their coats they leave the concert, Emily just walks quietly as they made their way to the car.

"Are you sure you are okay?"

"I am good, we have an agreement so is okay"

"You have an agreement?" he repeats fully confused

"He can pretty much date anyone he wants, or do as he pleases, and I can do the same I guess but I just don't care..."

"Emily" he looks at her carefully

"Why are you getting married to him? he is obviously an idiot, you deserve so much better than him..." she doesn't respond to him, but he can see the fear and sadness in her eyes.

"Because I must," she says lamely "Look, Tristan and I already talked we don't want to get married but our parents will never leave us alone so we are doing it to get them off our back, and well he is gonna do his life and I am gonna do mine and that is him doing his life...so..."

"I know I am not anyone to tell you this, but you are making a mistake, you don't need your mother to do anything, your smart you can get a scholarship and in a few years maybe you can even go to law school, I will help you..." she smiles sadly

"You don't know my mother" and is the way she says it, which makes him realize she is getting married because she thinks it will make her mother accept her and even be good enough for her eyes.

"Emily..."

"Can we just go? please" she says a little more forcibly

"Okay..." he agrees and drops the subject

"Are you hungry?" he asks when they get in the car

"Actually I am... I just don't want to go home and eat some expensive dish that cost more than your car" he smirks and he understands she hates being rich and part of this life

"I am taking you somewhere you will love" he states driving off the parking lot

* * *

Hours later they are sitting at a pub, she is still playing around with her french fries, but she ate must of her cheeseburger, and now they are drinking coffee and talking, he hasn't laugh this hard in a very long time.

"Wait wait," he says looking at her " You actually locked your babysitter in the bathroom when you were five?" he repeats incredulously

"What can I say" she shrugs "A girl gets bored when she has too many dolls" her lipstick is gone but her lips aren't any less eliciting, and he chastises himself internally.

This is her boss's daughter, he should not be thinking about her lips at all, or her cleavage _barely covered by the leather dress_. It doesn't help that she is stunning and fascinating, he still can't believe she is graduating soon and she is barely twenty.

"So you are not even twenty and you are about to graduate with your first Bachelors," he says

"Is a double bachelors technically"

He coughs some of the water he was drinking

"You are graduating with a double bachelors and you are only nineteen?" he repeats

"Well I will be twenty soon"

"Oh yeah? when is your birthday"

"March"

"That is like nine months away" he argues laughing, she just shrugs nonchalantly

"What are you majoring in anyway?"

"Psychology and criminalistics, well and technically linguistics as well but that doesn't count"

"I am not following..."

"I am fluent in a few languages so I got credit for that as well"

"How many languages do you speak"

"Five languages," his eyes widen in shock she just nods

"Which ones?"

"Five" she smiles "Spanish, French, Italian, Russian and Arabic and English obviously but that doesn't count "

"It does count" he states looking at her baffled

"Damn that is impressive" he is more fascinated about her each passing second

"Does the Nobel prize know about you" she giggles and it makes his stomach flutter

"Maybe you should think about joining the FBI when you turn twenty-one"

"Really?" she asks hopefull

"Of course, with your background, you can probably get a job at Interpol if you want"

"Does your girlfriend like school?" Emily aks stirring her coffee with the spoon.

"Not really, I mean she has a history degree but she is not really into school...she wants a house and kids, a dog, a white picket fence"

"She sounds like the perfect wife..." she says chewing her lip

He doesn't respond, she does sound like the perfect wife for someone, _someone that isn't him_, maybe not anymore. Trough High School, college and even graduate school, he knew Haley was the perfect woman for him. But now, he knows she is not the woman he wants to spend the rest of his life with.

_No,_ he wants someone who wants to fight for what she wants and is smart and brave and determined, _a woman like the one that is sitting in front of him, and is then when he realizes that he is in falling in love with the rich girl, as he called her once._


End file.
